Masan, De Heus ink MoU to improve animal protein value chain

According to the signed MOU, the parties would develop and strengthen strategic partnerships and business cooperation opportunities, aiming to optimize and drive productivity of Vietnam’s 3F (feed-farm-food) animal protein value chain by leveraging each respective parties’ strength and capabilities.

In particular, Masan will focus on the branded chilled meat business while De Heus Vietnam prioritizes providing animal nutrition, genetics and husbandry solutions.

Masan and De Heus will also partner with independent livestock and aquaculture farming entrepreneurs and provide an end-to-end solutions for them to be competitive over the medium and long-term.

The two parties plan to develop a 3F operating model to ensure safe, innovative, and affordable chilled meat products are available to 100 million Vietnamese consumers.

The MOU signing ceremony was held online. Photo by: Masan

Under the MoU, a steering committee would be established to discuss investments by one or both parties in new or existing ventures and supply chain cooperation, ensuring stable and predictable volume of input materials for the downstream meat business.

Danny Le, CEO of Masan Group cum Chairman of Masan MEATLife, stressed the partnership will significantly contribute to the modernization of Vietnam’s animal protein infrastructure to be on par with those of developed countries.

"Our focus is to ensure all consumers have access to safe, healthy, delicious and, most importantly, affordable meat and fish products. This has great potential to be a transformative partnership that enhances consumers’ daily lives."

Danny Le, CEO of Masan Group cum Chairman of Masan MEATLife. Photo by: Masan

Gabor Fluit, CEO of De Heus Asia, said: "Overtime, higher regulatory standards are being implemented in Vietnam’s animal protein value chain in terms of food safety, biosecurity, traceability, animal welfare and antibiotics usage. In the meantime, it is also crucial to promote the competitiveness of the country’s animal protein products compared to those from developed countries. To achieve this, it is important for the various links in the value chain to optimally work more closely together. I am confident that by combining the knowledge and experience of Masan and De Heus, we will be able to accelerate the desired progress in these areas."

The MoU embodies the spirit of the EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and Investment Protection Agreement while the strategic partnership between the two companies can benefit Vietnam’s animal protein value chain and socio-economic development.

In particular, the combination of De Heus Vietnam’s expertise in the upstream sector and Masan’s champion integrated FMCG-retail platform has the potential to accelerate the modernization of the animal protein value chain.

The MOU is a non-binding agreement, though both parties are committed to develop one or more collaboration agreements by the first quarter of 2022. All cooperation agreements and/or ventures are subject to customary corporate and regulatory approval.

MEAT Deli is branded meat in Vietnam produced by European processing. Photo by: Masan

Masan MEATLife, a subsidiary of Masan Group Corporation, is one of Vietnam’s largest consumer-focused business groups. Masan MEATLife’s vision is to become a leading fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) company with a focus on branded meat products by improving the productivity of Vietnam’s meat supply chain organically.

Royal De Heus is one of the global leaders in the animal nutrition and husbandry industry. Since its entry into Vietnam in 2009, De Heus has been driving dynamic growth to become one of the largest and well-established animal feed producers in the country.

De Heus’s value proposition is in providing high-quality animal feed products and customer-centric services like farm management, animal health, biosecurity, antibiotic reduction, and farm design consultancy. With the company’s strategic investments in genetics and active role in value chain cooperation, De Heus contributes significantly to professionalizing the independent livestock and aquaculture farming sector in Vietnam.